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Veteran already has Super Bowl ring, but wants to win one for his hometown team
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Wednesday, Jun 18, 2008
BEREA: It would have been easy for Joe Jurevicius to call it a career.
Since January, the Browns' 10-year veteran has had three knee surgeries, two to clean up a staph infection after his first procedure. He knows his 33-year-old body is breaking down, the main reason that he asked General Manager Phil Savage to find
a No. 2 receiver in the offseason because he couldn't handle the workload.
And Jurevicius has just about done it all, going to three Super Bowls with the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks, winning one with the Bucs in 2002.
But that's precisely why Jurevicius, a Cleveland native and Penn State product, wants to play one more year. The Browns went 10-6 last season, one victory shy of the playoffs. He sees the same special camaraderie building that fueled his former teams that reached the NFL's ultimate stage.
The ultimate prize
''It's about winning for me. It's never been about anything else but winning,'' Jurevicius said last week during the Browns' minicamp. ''I've been fortunate to play in three Super Bowls and win one, and I'm not passing this opportunity up. I really believe this team can accomplish some good things. That's my motivation, that I want to be part of that success.''
Probably the only player in the locker room who might know the words to Bernie, Bernie or the Twelve Days of a Browns Christmas, popular anthems of the Kardiac Kids and Dawg Pound days of the 1980s, Jurevicius never considered retiring. That's despite reports that he might not be ready for the Sept. 7 opener against the Dallas Cowboys, which he denied, saying he will return when training camp begins July 23.
''That never crossed my mind,'' he said of retirement. ''To the fans of Cleveland who may have thought I would not be ready to play, I would not miss this season for the world. I think the city should be excited about what we have in front of us and where we can go.''
Adding to his optimism are the offseason trades for defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams and the free-agent signing of former New England Patriots receiver Donte Stallworth to take over his No. 2 spot. Stallworth, a six-year veteran with 31 career touchdowns, has the quickness to get open that Jurevicius lacks and has already developed chemistry with quarterback Derek Anderson.
''There's an opportunity for this team to do something that hasn't been done in a long time,'' Jurevicius said. ''We're talking playoffs, and that's what we have to believe here. But the most important thing I realize with the acquisitions we had and the success we had last year that this place is a special place to be right now.''
Stepping aside
So despite coming off a 50-catch season that was five shy of his career high, Jurevicius asked Savage for a demotion. In a sports world filled with massive egos, that would seem like quite a comedown. Instead, coach Romeo Crennel calls it a sign of a professional.
''I don't want it to sound like that was a negative thing,'' Jurevicius said. ''I've shown throughout my career that I'm comfortable being a No. 3 or a No. 2 or being able to back up a 1 or a 2. I did it for the simple fact that I think it helps this football team. Donte Stallworth is a guy who's going to help this football team win. I'll be able to go and do what I'm comfortable doing.''
As for putting his ego aside, Jurevicius said: ''It's pro sports. No matter what walk of life you're in, there's egos involved. I've been fortunate to grow up in Cleveland and have my ego kept in check.
''I know how great that feeling is to come off that field winning championships. I've been successful at the high school, college, pro level. Before I bow out, I want it one more time and I'm willing to do everything I can to be part of that.''
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.
BEREA: It would have been easy for Joe Jurevicius to call it a career.
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